


She Smelt of Fire

by abraxos_sniffing_flowers



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: #living, F/M, when you think you can make oc's, winter court and summer court mates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-04
Updated: 2017-09-28
Packaged: 2018-11-23 05:32:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11396352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abraxos_sniffing_flowers/pseuds/abraxos_sniffing_flowers
Summary: He found the fiery scent on a frozen lake, surrounded by peals of innocent children’s laughter. His jaw almost dropped.Because there, on the ice, was a female.She wasn’t the conventional dark skinned and light haired beauties of the Summer court, or the gentle tans and golds of Spring, or the reds and browns of Autumn, or the sleek classiness of Night. But she was stunning.*~*The story of how Tarquin met, fell in love with, and lost his mate all in the space of 3 years.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Someone said Tarquin would be good for OC ships, so I took a crack at it. Probably horrible but *shrugs*. Rating will probably go up in later chapters.

_Set 200 years pre-ACOTAR_

 

*~*

 

The winter court was never Tarquin’s favourite place, but that wasn’t uncommon coming from anyone belonging to his court. In fact, Tarquin had never heard any summer court dweller say they liked Winter.

 

_It was always so damn cold._

 

Beautiful, sure, but cold. 

 

On this particularly snowy day when he was free from dreary meetings with Kallias, he decided to investigate the market stalls opened in the shadow of the High Lord’s castle. Some of the civilians had the classically pale skin and white hair that depicted the Winter Court while others had silky dark hair and skin that he imagined seeing in the Dawn Court. The vendor’s all sold various items, from warm broths to shimmering trinkets to perfect ice sculptures.

 

He didn’t blend in here, with his - albeit warmer versions of - Summer court clothing. People noticed and looked, even if they were pretending not to.

 

_Not like summer._

 

Not like home.

 

He softly ran his hands through an ice wind chime, listening to it’s sound. He didn’t mind the sound, but could never have this. It would melt too easily. Dropping his head, he sighed, breathing through his nose.

 

And smelt _fire._

 

His head whipped up at the smell, such a foreign scent against the pines and mints that swamped the Winter Court. He whirled slowly, searching until he found a trail. He followed it casually, trying to be inconspicuous in his search for the warmth of the flame. 

 

He found it on a frozen lake, surrounded by peals of innocent children’s laughter. His jaw almost dropped.

 

Because there, on the ice, was a female.

 

She wasn’t the conventional dark skinned and light haired beauties of the Summer court, or the gentle tans and golds of Spring, or the reds and browns of Autumn, or the sleek classiness of Night. But she _was_ stunning. 

 

And she wasn’t even noticing him, sapphire eyes trained on the small children around her. They all wore boots with - what looked to Tarquin like - blades connected to them, allowing them to float across the ice. The girl he was looking at was holding hands with a little boy, helping him stay upright on the thin metal beneath him.

 

She gently pushed the boy and he went skating away. She watched him wobble away before she seemed to realise someone was watching her and looked up, catching his eyes. She smiles softly and skates over without stumble.

 

_She smells like fire._

 

“Are you okay, sir?” Her voice is tentative and soft, but without stutter. All he can do is nod as he looks her over. Her hair is a white shade of blonde and is split into two braids, reaching her hips. Her kind eyes are a soft sapphire and her red lips stand out against her pale skin.

 

“I’m Tarquin” is all he can manage. She holds her hand out for him to shake. 

 

“I’m Aeya.” She pauses, looking him over. He could practically see her mind working at a thousand feet per second. “I assume you are the High Lord visiting and this is probably an odd request, but would you like to skate with us? I could teach you, if you wanted.” Tarquin considered the request. He didn’t have anything better to do than be around Aeya.

 

“Sure” he says and, in a badly calculated movement, steps on to the ice. 

 

And slips.

 

And falls.

 

_On top of her._

 

She looks slightly mortified, blue eyes wide. And then she giggles. And then laughs. He scrambles off her and she sits up, wiping ice from her coat.

 

“I’m so sorry” he whispers softly. Aeya’s laughter dies out as she stands and reaches to help him up.

 

“You need skates first. Here, I’ll grab a pair for you.” She skates to the edge of the lake and sits down, slipping off the skates and putting them beside her, not bothering to reach for the shoes beside her. Aeya stands and turns to walk away through the snow before he calls to her.

 

“Won’t your feet get cold?” She doesn’t turn before responding a short “no.” He follows behind her as she enters a small hut and walks over to the shelves lining the walls behind a counter, picking up a chunk of steel. Tarquin examines the room they are in. It’s a blacksmith’s shop. He watches as she throws the steel into the burning fire and crouches beneath the counter, pulling a pair of boots from underneath.

 

“Will these fit you?” Tarquin nods and watches as Aeya carves slits into the shoes and walks over to the forge. She goes to reach in and Tarquin winnows just in time to halt her hand before it enters the fire. He realises a little too late that he winnowed only the breadth of his hand away from her face.

 

“What?” Aeya asks.

 

“You’ll burn yourself.” She rolls her eyes, gently pulls her hand out of his and reaches into the fire, pulling out the red-hot steel. She brought it over to an anvil and began to carve holes out of it and beat it flat. She quickly and methodically places the now-cold steel into the shoes and sews them in place.

 

“How?” She pauses to consider, understanding exactly what he was asking.

 

“I was born that way. The ice is my power and it protects me,” she shrugs, smiling as she turns and hands him the shoes. “Careful of the skates, the first time I skated I accidentally cut my fingers pretty bad,” she held up her calloused right hand, where obvious scars rest just under her second knuckle, stark against her pale hand. “And we wouldn’t want that to happen to a pretty High Lord, would we?” Aeya winked at him, one side of her lip curling into a smirk. He couldn’t help smiling back, breathing out a chuckle.

 

“Those boys and girls out there-“ he asks, carefully taking the boots and sliding them on, lacing them and attempting to balance. 

 

“My brothers and sisters. Some are children of the traders at the market. Others might be a palace guard’s children. Whoever wants to learn, I don’t mind teaching them. Turn your knees inward so the blades are tilted outward. It’ll help you balance.” He changes his stance, taking her advice. He manages to level himself out, feeling more stable. He softly gripped her shoulder, feeling the muscles, even through her shirt and coat.

 

“Aeya?” A loud, deep voice called out from a different room, making him jump slightly.

 

“In here,” she calls, and then the door behind the hearth opens, revealing a male who looked slightly older than Aeya and had her eyes, blonde hair and smile. _He must be her father_. His sharp glance fell on Tarquin as he entered the room.

 

“I didn’t think you bought males home,” the male says, a single eyebrow raised as he watched his daughter’s cheeks fill with scarlet. Tarquin noted that the back of her neck flushed with colour as well, easily seen through her pale skin.

 

“Papa, no,” she groaned at the male, confirming Tarquin’s suspicions. “I - he wanted - I was teaching him to skate,” the male nodded before turning to look Tarquin over again, his warm sapphire eyes giving him a juxtaposingly cold glare.

 

“Make good choices, Aeya.” And then he was gone. Aeya turned back to him, steadying him gently.

 

“Sorry about him. My parents seem to think I’m looking for a husband when I'm not. Walk towards the door outside,” Tarquin stared at her for a second, taking in her words, before listening to her, walking around the bench to acquaint himself with the skates. They felt snug and soft inside and, although he felt like he was teetering, he was definite he wasn’t falling. “It gets easier eventually, though I’m sure you’re an old dog who can learn new tricks. Come on, lets go.”

 

She led him back down to the edge of the ice, slipping on her own skates. He noticed that her blush hadn’t faded but didn’t question it. _It was probably just the cold._

 

“Are you sure you can teach this?” He asks nervously, making her look up at him. Everyone heard him in the silence. It seems like that was a no-no question because it made everyone pause to watch them, waiting for Aeya’s response. She stood, taller with her skates on. She motioned to everyone to part and they did, like the sea around Miryam’s people. And then Aeya was gone from his side, skating with precision and grace around the right edge of the pond, obviously getting a run-up - _skate-up?_ he wondered - for something. She move fluidly, suddenly throwing herself up, twisting, her braids flipping tight around her, one, two, three, four rotations before she hit the ice, landing smoothly and beginning to turn, crouched on her skate, one leg out in front of her. She pulled out of her turns and moved towards him, a bright smile on her face as she jam stopped, flinging ice all over his shins. He didn’t care about the cold. She was stunning normally, but Tarquin thinks he might have done anything to get her to smile like that again.

 

“Are you sure you can learn this, High lord?” The feeling hit him like a brick to the face even as he kept his expression neutral. It was like something was linking them. She didn’t notice, reaching for his hands and gently tugging him out of his pause and on to the ice.

 

Mate, _Mate,_ ** _Mate._**


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sibling rivalry is hella strong + the curse that is a curse

_ Set 200 years pre-ACOTAR _

 

Tarquin’s knees hit the ice with a jolt as he slips, the biting cold soaking through his pants. He growled, tempted to push the ice back to it’s original form. Aeya’s giggling snapped him out of it. She slid next to him and crouched down to be level with him, her sapphire eyes showing how amused she is.

 

“A mighty High Lord, felled by a set of skates and some ice,” she moved her hand and gently brushed off some snow from his shoulder before standing and offering her hand. “I never said it would be easy. Feel free to walk off the ice whenever you want,” He took her calloused hand tightly and hauled himself up, trying to ignore the lightning bolts shooting up his arms. She didn’t wobble and he noticed the muscles in her arm with amazement. 

 

She stood as tall as his neck and he couldn’t help but breathe her in, how her scent reminded of him of frozen fire, icy and smoky all at the same time, weird but right at the same time. She grabbed his other hand, placing it further up her arm before moving the one still holding her hand to clasp her forearm.

 

“It’s like stepping but you need to put the whole blade on the ice at once and keep them pushed outwards,” he followed her instructions as she skated backwards, softly pulling and steadying him as they glide.

 

“Why do you live out here instead of in the city?” Tarquin asks softly, holding tight to her. Aeya only shrugs.

 

“It’s the coldest part of the Winter Court. It’s the places most like where my family comes from,” her voice is quiet, but her words are unfaltering. Aeya notes the question in his face and continues, “My parents families are all from further south of here, far away on a different continent. It’s filled with blacksmiths and soldiers and is always about 50 degrees colder than here. You would probably die if you stepped foot on there, what with you being Lord of Summer,” he chuckled at that, almost losing his balance, causing him to grip tighter to her. She didn’t even flinch.

 

They spent an hour on the ice, Tarquin refusing to let go of her, even when she said he would be able to balance on his own. He was happy knowing she wasn’t going to push him away. He learnt about her family, how she makes weapons, her favourite colour. He told her about the Summer Court, his hidden love for musical instruments and his favourite food. He was beginning to be glad that Kallias had given him the day off, that he had discovered this jewel on the ice.

 

“Aeya!” The female in question turns to where a voice was calling her from the edge of the ice. He turned with Aeya to face a female standing on the edge of the ice. She had mint green eyes and was thin and lithe, her hair short and white. And she was looking straight at him. Smiling as if he were prey.

 

“Oh, here we go,” Aeya sighs, skating to the edge of the lake, leaving Tarquin to follow her. “Tarquin, this is my sister Breena, Breena, this is Tarquin, the High Lord of Summer” Breena curtsies, her furs subtly parting to reveal her cleavage. He noted Aeya scoffing from beside him. Breena stands straight and turns to Aeya, dropping her smile.

 

“Dad needs you, I can take care of the High Lord” Breena said, her lip curling back into a smirk. Tarquin felt the need to get between the two sisters as Aeya leant down and undid her skates, handing them to Breena.

 

“Actually, uh, I need to get back to the castle.” He cut Breena off as she was about to volunteer for the task. “Aeya, would you mind walking with me. It was nice meeting you Breena,” with that he shucked off his skates and held out his arm for Aeya to take. She took it and helped him off the ice, passing him his boots. He takes them and guides her over to her own shoes. Quickly shoving her feet into them, she walks with him to the edge of the town before he speaks to her again.

 

“Are you alright, Aeya?” She nods, sighing.

 

“As much as she’s my sister and I’m meant to love her, Breena has an extreme fondness for attractive people. You ask any male or female her age around here and they’d all say she has flirted with them. She can also be a bit power hungry. She would attempt to woo you without restraint and you would fall for it and then I’d be back to not having any friends because she would drag you away,” he almost blurts out that that would never happen because of her.

 

“She isn’t that pretty,” he says instead, making her scoff.

 

“Trust me, she is.”

 

“I like how you look better,” he says before he could think. He watches as scarlet blooms across her cheeks and down into her furs (he wants to kiss her until he finds the end of that blush), causing her eyes to pop. They reached the palace gates and she lets go of his arm.

 

“Thank you for lying, Tarquin. I’ll see you?” Aeya asks him softly and he considers her for a second, not understanding what she doesn’t see.

 

“You will definitely see me. Have a good night Aeya,” he grabs her hand and softly presses a kiss to the back of it and she curtsies in return. She walks away backwards, waving before turning and walking briskly back down the pathway in the markets. He stared after her until she was a speck in the distance and then until she was gone.

 

*~* _Aeya_ *~*

 

“How has everyone’s day been?” Aeya’s mother asked at dinner that night. By the look on Breena’s face, what was about to come out of her mouth was going to screw Aeya over big time. 

 

“Aeya’s locking lips with the High Lord of Summer now,” and her sister did not disappoint. Her mother dropped her fork, half in surprise and half in excitement, her father almost spat out his drink and all of her siblings old enough to understand what Breena said turned to look at her in shock. Aeya sent a glare towards her older sister that promised a plethora of pain later that night before grabbing her drink, electing to stay silent.

 

“Is this true, Aeya? Are you going to be a High Lord’s wife?” This time it was Aeya who coughed into her drink at her mother’s implications.

 

“First of all, at no time today was I lip-locking with the High Lord of Summer, I was actually teaching him to skate,” she paused to cast a pointed glare at her sister, “and second of all, probably not.” Breena looked up at that.

 

“What do you you mean ‘probably not’? It’s a definite yes or no question. Actually, it’s just a no question. He’s met me so why would he bother with you?” She continued to smile, evilly, like she was planning on ripping Aeya to pieces. Whether physically or verbally was yet to be determined.

 

“Breena, watch it,” their father scolded his daughter.

 

“If you think that, then you wouldn’t want to know what he said about you,” Aeya bit back icily.

 

“Aeya, don’t engage,” their dad’s warning fell on deaf ears this time.

 

“Oh, and what did he say? That you were the most stunning being of all time,” Breena scoffs at even the implication of that happening and stands to be over her sister. Aeya stands to be level with her. They stare off, emerald versus sapphire eyes, both cold with dislike and anger.

 

“Better. He said you weren’t that pretty and that he likes how I look better,” _smack!_ Their mother and father finally stand as Breena whacks her sister across the face, causing the latter to stumble back. Aeya growls at her and moves to reciprocate. Before she can though, her father catches her, pinning her arms to her body.

 

“There’s no way in hell anyone would want you compared to me,” she almost screams and Aeya goes slack, conceding to Breena’s biting words.

 

“And yet, he wasn’t exactly jumping to be in your presence. And he shut you down pretty quick when he asked _me_ to walk him back to the castle,” Aeya kept her voice quiet but filled with every inch of icy rage she had to give. She shook her way out of her fathers grip and walked out of the kitchen, into the cold, wrapping her fur over her clothes, hugging herself. She walks around her house and through the forest behind it, finally reaching the peak of the cliff and sitting on it, curling her knees to her chest.

 

It wasn’t that Breena’s words hurt Aeya when she only says them once, but when she says it consistently, it begins to eat at the younger sister. Resting her forehead on her knees, she hides the warm tears streaming down her face from the biting wind.

 

*~* _Tarquin_ *~*

 

At dinner that night he felt boiling rage and then bone-chilling sadness down the bond. The type that made him want to go to his mate and wrap her in a blanket and hug and kiss her until she didn’t feel like that ever again. Instead, he was forced to sit with Kallias in the chilly dining room.

 

“Kallias,” he asked softly. The High Lord of Winter looks up at him and nods for him to continue. “What do you know of Aeya? The one that lives down by the frozen lake?”

 

“Aeya Zerxer? Her father is my weapons master and I think he’s priming her to take over the role once she’s old enough. Teaches a lot of the guards children to skate. Older sister is the town flirt, her family apparently has a curse plaguing them,” Kallias shrugs, not realising he had piqued Tarquin’s interest.

 

“What cure?”

 

“According to her father, her ancestor was cursed that if any group of their bloodline came to this continent, the group would be reduced to one. Eventually, only one of her family will be left. Why do you want to know about her?” Kallias set his freezing eyes on Tarquin, gluing him to his seat.

 

“She’s my mate,” he concedes easily because he knows, no matter how much Kallias was his opposite, he was Tarquin’s friend and ally in everything.

 

“Well then, you better hope she’s the one left,” Kallias muttered solemnly.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aeya has a twin brother + Tarquin's subconscious is starved for affection + I finally (after much waiting and buildup) (lol no) reveal what Aeya's dads name is.

_Set 200 years pre-ACOTAR_

 

“You know she doesn’t mean it right?” Aeya’s turns to face her brother’s voice as he walks up the cliff behind her, sitting next to her and puling her closer to him.

 

“If she doesn’t mean it, why does she say it?” Darien sighed, squeezing her shoulder.

 

“Can we put it down to she’s a bitch who can’t handle eyes not on her,” Aeya scoffs. “Did he really say that about her?” Aeya only nods, letting her brother chuckle at it. “He’s right anyway. I’d rather spend time with you than her,” he pauses, letting Aeya soak in the words. 

 

“ _Now,_ Tell me about this High Lord of yours. Is he my type of cute?” Darien laughs again when Aeya groans, fulling wanting to escape the subject at hand.

 

“Every male you’ve ever met is your type of cute, Darien. And he’s… I don’t know,” she fades into a shrug and he looks her over, noting the cogs turning in her head.

 

“What’s wrong? You’re awfully quiet on the subject,” he nudges her, his voice gentle, trying not to pry.

 

“I think - and if you tell anyone this, I will smack you in the face with a pickaxe,” Darien snorts at the threat he knows she won’t follow through with. “I think, _no_ , I know that he’s my mate.” Her brother goes completely still at the admission, surprised she’d divulge something so important,“I’m quiet about it because mating bonds can be one-sided and I reckon Breena would go after him, to spite me and to get power for herself and I don’t think I could handle it if she did.”

 

“Breena may be cruel, but I don’t think she’d go that far. Anyway, back to the High Lord who is your mate. What’s he like? Is he gorgeous? I feel like he’s gorgeous,” Aeya laughs at Darien’s enthusiasm for her.

 

“He is gorgeous. Dark skinned and bleached blonde hair and the most stunning turquoise blue eyes, like the colour of the ocean when the sun reflects on it. I like the way his voice sounds, like a prince. He’s sweet too. And muscly. He, kind of… fell on top of me this morning and his whole body is tough with muscle-“

 

“Hold on, hold on, he fell on you. Are you sure you’re not lip locking,” Aeya shoves her twin at the implication, laughing softly.

 

“He slipped on the ice and fell into me and tipped me over. No kissing involved, idiot. He stopped me from putting my hand in the forge fire and he was so close I could smell him. He smells like what I imagine a beach to smell like. That’s when it clicked. The bond, I mean,” Darien smiles at his sister as she fades into thoughtful silence. They’d always been close and he was always who she came to when she had issues and he’s so glad she could share this with him. “Don’t tell anyone, or my pickaxe comes for your face,” Aeya stands, pulling her fur off his shoulders. They had been sitting up on the cliff for a while and so he follows her back in to the house and they split apart to go to seperate bedrooms.

 

“Aeya,” she turns to him when he speaks, her hand on the doorknob. “Don’t be afraid to fall for him. I doubt it’s a one-sided thing. Goodnight,” and then her brother was gone.

 

Sighing, she enters the room. A small bed was pushed into the corner, her room taken over by a giant, messy desk, filled with weapons and blueprints her dad had given her to look over. Aeya lets out a breath as she hangs her coat over the desk chair.

 

“Almost there, Aeya. Almost there,” she whispers, eyes skimming over the weapon that takes up the centre of her desk, still only half-welded together. It was her ticket back to her home, if she could finish it. Her ticket back to her grandparents, away from her sister and her mother and from every other cold person in the Winter court. Everyone trying to snuff out her flame.

 

_And away from Tarquin_ a pesky voice in the back of her mind whispers. She shoos the thought away. Everything about the Tarquin situation was a bridge she would either cross or burn when she came to it. If she ever saw him again.

 

Quickly changing her clothes and letting out her hair, Aeya threw herself onto her bed and stared at the ceiling, thoughts and plans circling in her head until she fell asleep.

 

And when she dreamed, she dreamed of turquoise eyes and what she knew of the beaches of summer.

 

_*~*_ _Tarquin_ *~*

 

He tossed and turned that night, constantly pulling his four blankets closer to his chest, to create some semblance of warmth in this icy hell court. He curled up, stretched out, hugged himself with his arms, wrapped himself in layer upon layer of clothes. Nothing helped because he knew exactly what would make him warmer, but she wasn’t here, didn’t know about his attraction to her. He wanted his mate lying next to him.

 

Grumbling to himself about self control, he flipped over and lied face down, trying not to imagine what it would be like if she was here. Trying not to imagine being able to hold her close, or how she’d kiss him, hold him, touch him.

 

Tarquin had heard of males who had become mated and couldn’t escape from these thoughts, these _fantasies_ , and he had always said he wouldn’t be one of those males but, maybe, just maybe, it was all mated males who couldn’t be with their mates who became like this. Who just wanted their female or male beside them all the time. 

 

He wondered if Aeya was thinking of him, or whether she was using that brilliant mind for better purposes. Or if she was asleep. He didn’t know if she had the same thoughts, or even if she knew they were mated. 

 

He fell asleep uneasy that night, dreaming of fire and ice and sapphire eyes and white-blonde hair.

 

*~*

 

“Ewin, who do you believe will replace you as weapons master when you choose to step down?” Tarquin heard Kallias ask someone through the door.

 

“Most likely my second daughter, Aeya,” Tarquin’s heart skips a beat at her name, “Why, are you planning on getting rid of me Kallias?” the man had the voice of a blacksmith but also that of a father, gruff and deep but warm and welcoming. Kallias chuckled along with the man.

 

“No, I was just thinking that maybe we should bring your daughter to a meeting so she can see how things normally play out, just in case anything happens,” Kallias assures and asks easily. It has been a belief of Tarquin’s for a long time that there’s no way Kallias wasn’t born speaking like that, with an ease no other High Lord had when speaking to his subjects. His theory hadn’t yet been disproven.

 

“Maybe. When’s the next meeting?”

 

“Four days from now. Can you please bring her along Ewin?”

 

“Sure. Why not? She’s been itching to get in here and investigate,” Tarquin smiled to himself, fully accepting of the investigative side of his mate. Finally deciding to open the door to Kallias’ office, it revealed Winter’s High Lord and Aeya’s father. The latter turned when the door opened and looked over Tarquin, trying to figure the lord out like a puzzle. Recognition finally sparks behind his eyes and he nods at Tarquin.

 

“Tarquin, this is my weapons master, blacksmith and old friend, Ewin. He’s coming to the diplomat meeting in four days. Ewin, the High Lord of Summer and also my old friend, Tarquin,” The blacksmith crosses the room and holds out a hand to shake, which Tarquin gladly takes, not really expecting this man to bow to him. Ewin’s hands are rough with callous’ and his handshake is firm. Tarquin automatically gains a whole lot more respect for him.

 

“It’s lovely to meet you, Ewin,” the man nods.

 

“Hello, High Lord,” Tarquin nods back, not having anything to say to the man who was staring him down. “I look forward to hearing what you bring to the table at the meeting,” her gave a dismissive laugh and turned away, almost making Tarquin strike him down for the disrespect. He was only called off by Kallias’ pointed head shake in his direction.

 

Ewin waved good bye to his high lord and left the room, the door slamming slightly behind him.

 

“He doesn’t like you. Apparently your presence caused a rift between his daughters,” Tarquin shrugs.

 

“I didn’t do anything except learn to skate.”

 

“Please attempt to fight the urge to be near your mate during the meeting,” Tarquin growls at the male. Kallias growls back. “Don’t lose me my weapons master because you can’t hold yourself back from your mate.”

 

“I’m smarter than that and you know it, Kallias,” Kallias sighs.

 

“You are a mated male so you can’t say that for sure now.”

 

“I can,” Kallias sighs as Tarquin lets a growl lace through his words.

 

“No, you can’t know that. Don’t be stupid with her.”


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Aeya is actually pretty damn intelligent and Tarquin contemplates killing his fellow High Lord.

_Set 200 years pre-ACOTAR_

 

She might have only been through these halls once before as a child, but Aeya is pretty sure it would be easy to get lost among the marble floors and icy halls of the Winter Court’s palace no matter how many times you walk through them. It was almost enough to make her bite her nails, a nervous habit that both parents have attempted to sway her from. It doesn’t matter to her, it’s not like she’s a constant nervous wreck who’s destroying her nails.

 

Still, she marvels the structure of the palace, the architecture that she knew would take the best to build. This was why she came today. Grasp the jobs and responsibilities of Winter Court weapons master. First on the agenda; marvel architecture. Second; sit in on a meeting and shadow her father. Third; Flirt with Tarquin.

 

It took her a long time to figure out the last one, whether she would even continue talking to Tarquin at all. She decided last night at midnight when she couldn’t focus on anything else but whether she should. It interrupted her work and thoroughly pissed her off. What’s also pissing her off is that she can smell her mate but not see hm.

 

Her father motioned for her at the edge of the council room. The council room was organised in rows of chairs spanning out from a centre table, a layout that made it difficult to move around freely, especially in her bulky furs. Aeya joined her father’s side, looking at one of Winter’s diplomats.

 

“Aeya, Pandsley, one of Kallias’ advisors. Pandsley, my daughter and future weapons master of the court, Aeya,” she gives him a polite smile and dipped her head in greeting, him doing the same.

 

“It’s lovely to meet you Aeya. Your father says you’re a genius and I look forward to working with you,” Aeya chuckles lightheartedly at this.

 

“I wouldn’t say genius but thank you and I look forward to working with you as well,” he shakes her hand with a smile and walks away.

 

“I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen that male smile. Bleeding hard ass,” her dad mutters.

 

“He’s not normally like that?”

 

“Wait ’til you see him in the meeting room,” her dad pretends to shiver from cold and wrap his fur tighter around his shoulders. He flashes her a smile that she returns.

 

“Ladies and Gentleman, if you could take your seats, the meeting will begin shortly with the arrival of the High Lord’s of Winter, Autumn, Spring and Summer,”Aeya took one of the seats along the far outside of the room, knowing that a shadow is not to be in the front row. Aeya noted that she was the only female in the room, a fact that pissed her off more than anything else that day.

 

The High Lord’s swept in to the room briskly, coats swinging in a way that had Aeya holding back a scoff. Everyone stood and bowed before everyone but the lords sat down. Beron of Autumn looked angry, his hair glinting scarlet in the light. The high lord of spring stood with his back to her and didn’t give her much to glimpse at. Kallias looked like he had just been outside (whether he was lost or not [again] is up in the air) with red cheeks and snow still dusting his blue cloak.

 

And then, facing her, was Tarquin, blue eyes watching her. She watched him back, a smirk quirking her lips as she winks at him. When he flourishes his gold coat out to sit down, Aeya nearly giggles. She catches his eyes again.

 

_Very dramatic, High Lord_ she whispers to him without using words.

 

_It’s fun, you should try it_ he answers.

 

_Only if I can use your coat._

 

_Only if I see you do it._

 

_Maybe_ she answers with a wink.

 

Their discussion stopped so he could pay attention to the other high lords and she began to do so as well.

 

“Hybern’s stirring again,” Kallias grumbles to the other’s.

 

“Which means that we need to combat them, which means that we need resources to be spread amongst the seasonal courts,” the high lord of spring spoke up.

 

“Why not the solar courts?” the male seated to the right of Tarquin asks, echoing most of the advisor’s thoughts. It’s obvious that the high lords are on icy ground with the solar courts by their silence. They don’t have a legitimate reason, they just don’t like the solar courts. 

 

“It’s easier to attack the mortal lands through the four southernmost courts rather than fight on the mountains of Dawn and Day, and the Night Court’s too far up to have any play this side of the mountains,” Aeya said quietly, giving them an out. But everyone hears and turns to look at her.

 

“Who are you, female?” Beron snarls. Aeya forces down the icy response bubbling on her tongue and instead stands, raises her chin.

 

“Aeya Zerxer, sir. Blacksmith and future weapons master of the winter court,” she lets everyone hear her, not willing to back down from this grumpy old man.

 

“I would suggest not attempting to burn her Beron. I’ve seen her put her hand in a hearth and pull out red-hot steel without getting a mark on her,” Tarquin growls from where he sits. Surprisingly, Beron looks her over with a steely gaze.

 

“Okay, Aeya Zerxer, prove your worth. My sword is constantly snapping when serious pressure is applied to it, as do most of my sons even though they are made by the best blacksmith in my court. Could you fix it right now? Take note female, I don’t like liars.”

 

“Yes, I can fix it now, sir,” Beron beckons her, pulling his sword from it’s place at his back. Iron, double-edged and probably sharp enough to split her in half. But her will is just as tough as the sword and she approaches to examine it, everyone’s eyes following her controlled movements.

 

She takes his sword from his and examines it, noting how light it is. _Too light_. Knocking her fist against it and frowning, she twists the handle of the sword off, making it crack and looking inside.

 

“It’s hollow and the iron isn’t enforced enough on either edge,” she reaches into the tool belt she has with her, pulling out a hunk of iron. “Melt this please,” he does as she asks and she takes the now molten metal and tips it into the hollow space, freezing it once the issue was fixed. She used a small tool to nail the handle back on and handed the sword back to the surly Lord of Autumn. He almost looked impressed by her. Almost. She takes her cue and quickly makes a small curtsy and moves back to her seat, sighing in relief as she sits.

 

She catches her dad watching her and gives him a slightly tentative smile. Her hands gently tug at the braids pooled on her lap to centre her. She looks up at Tarquin to see him smiling at her with… what looked like… pride in his eyes. She mimes wiping her brow and smiles back.

 

_*~ Tarquin ~*_

 

The moment he saw her, he wanted her close to him and every thought of what he was going to be asking her later flew from his head. He wanted every threat to her eradicated from her presence. He wanted to rip Beron’s throat out with his teeth to keep him away from Aeya, a thought that made Tarquin slightly question what his mate was doing to his sanity.

 

He could have sworn Beron was contemplating burning Aeya from the inside out, something that immensely worried Tarquin, made him want to winnow Aeya away from the danger zone. He didn’t want her anywhere near that monstrous fire master.

 

But he couldn’t help but be proud of his mate when she piped up about the solar courts when Varian asked. Couldn’t help but find her and her sharp mind extremely sexy.

 

He knew Beron appreciated fierceness and dignity, things Aeya most definitely displayed when she did her job efficiently and well in front of everyone. He wanted to speak up, to say she was his mate, so he could seat her on his left and hold her hand under the table but now isn’t the time or place for that announcement.

 

He instead takes small amusement in how she brushes off Beron’s viciousness. Tarquin had seen Beron use that glare on the toughest of soldiers —Tarquin among them— and most of them —Tarquin not among them— have cracked under the pressure and heat of the stare, but his mate just shakes him off. To be honest, every time he glimpses at her, he’s filled with warmth.

 

_*~ Aeya ~*_

 

Aeya is following everyone out of the meeting room last, shaking off the lasting effects of Beron’s glare, when she felt a warm hand on her arm, tugging her into an alcove around a corner away from prying eyes. It wasn’t a harsh tug, more like one designed to pull someone around gently, but it still freaked her out a little, never having been one who enjoys being manhandled (in public.)

 

She quickly realised that it was her mate cocooning her against the wall, one elbow resting above her head, his other hand cupping her waist in a warm embrace. She relaxed nearly instantly, his blue eyes quelling her racing heart. She reconsiders task three on her agenda, feeling all of a sudden quite shy from the way he was looking at her. She then reconsiders her previous reconsideration and realises that she wants to flirt with him. And she doesn’t want to flirt with just anyone.

 

“That was pretty badass what you did with Beron. Also, your arm is freezing cold.” He whispers to her, throwing her a crooked smile.

 

“Trust me, he’s just a grumpy old man,” she whispers back, smiling with a lot more intent. “And, if I’m so cold…” she trails off, smirking before bringing her hand up and running a dainty finger along his neck, making him shiver and his eyes glaze over slightly “maybe I just need someone to warm me up,” she lets her finger run to where his heart was and she taps it once before letting her hand fall. He catches it in his comfortingly warm one. She noted that her mate’s hand lacked the callouses that she was used to.

 

He takes her in, letting his eyes traverse her form, lingering on her lips and where her furs had slightly parted from when he tugged her, revealing the subtle curves of her cleavage, to where their hands were clasped, fingers intertwined.

 

_Back up to her lips._

 

He leans in closer to her, meaning they were sharing breathing room. Aeya watches his eyes, trying to pinpoint his next move.

 

He leaned closer again, gently nudging her nose with his. She giggles softly at the motion.

 

“ehem, ehem,” the cough causes them to break apart, a blush spreading across both of their faces. To her dismay, Aeya’s father stood there, arms crossed and sapphire eyes burning like the hottest part of a flame. He shoots Tarquin a glare before turning his eyes on his daughter.

 

“We need to go, Aeya, your mother’s expecting us home by dinner.”

 

“Actually sir, I was just asking if Aeya wanted to stay here and have a private dinner with me.”

 

“And I was agreeing,” she moves and grabs his hand subtly, letting her fingers twine with his. Ewin can’t decide who to glare at, finally settling on Aeya. But Aeya glares back as if to tell him it was her choice to say yes and for him to stand down. They stare for an uncomfortably long time.

 

Finally, Ewin must silently give in to his daughter because Aeya smirks and her father sighs. 

 

“Fine. But you, High Lord,” he levels his eyes on Tarquin, pointing at him sharply. “I have been trained in battle by some of the toughest and fiercest warriors in the world and can use every tool in my shop to hurt you. Treat my daughter with the respect she deserves.” Ewin storms off when Tarquin nods at him, too nervous to lose his credibility as a High Lord by stuttering.

 

“You can relax now, Tarquin,” Aeya whispers, brushing her shoulder past his. He snaps out of it and looks at her.

 

He offers her arm, his gold cloak sliding off it like a waterfall. She takes it, her cold hands fitting snug in the crook of his elbow.

 

“Dinner awaits, my dear.”


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This relationship moves hella fast and we meet Mama Zerxer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (*) Elskan = Icelandic for darling

“What’s this, my dear?” Tarqin asked, staring suspiciously at the dish sitting at the table when the two got back to his suite. After all, Summer Court’s food was served on platter’s, never in closed dishes. The female in question lets go of his arm to approach the table, lifting the lid to peer inside. Tarquin can’t help but chuckle when she catches a face full of steam. She sends him a playful glare before answering.

 

“Lamb stew, _Elskan(*)_ ,” she answers back, her voice rolling over the word that he didn’t recognise. It was either an light-hearted insult or a term of endearment, but he didn’t question it.

 

Aeya shrugs off her fur coat and walks around him to hang it on the coat stand near the door. Underneath she wore a form-fitting sky blue shirt that had sleeves covering all but her finger tips and a pair of tight black pants that showed off her legs flawlessly. As she turned, he noted that her shirt V-ed in a way that had his eyes looking for cleavage and finding enough to make him want more. He wanted it off her, all of it.

 

“What?” Aeya asks when she noticed his face. He shook his head.

 

“Nothing, my mind went somewhere else for a second,” her smile falls into a curious expression “what’s wrong?”

 

“Where is your somewhere else? Or who?” she asks, approaching him and holding his hands. He laces their fingers together and she leans closer until their chests are pressed together.

 

“Home. With my mate,” he presses his forehead to hers, needing to be close to her even though it had only been four days since he’d seen her.

 

“Oh, and what are they like?” she closes her eyes. He noted how her eyelashes fanned across her snow-white cheeks that had become slightly red. He contemplates telling her.

 

“She is beautiful, smart, strong, sassy.”

 

“Sounds like I would like her if it wasn’t me you were talking about,” he starts at the quiet words, pulling away to scan her face. Aeya opens her eyes at this to gage his reaction.

 

“You knew?” A short nod. A small shrug.

 

“Like you said, I’m smart. If you didn’t want me to know then you shouldn’t have pulled my hand from the hearth,” with that, Aeya turns away from him to serve herself some of the stew, taking a seat at one end of the table. She motions for him to do the same with her fork. He sat across from her but didn’t reach for a plate.

 

“How are you so— so— nonchalant about this? Doesn’t it freak you out a bit?” another shrug.

 

“Not really. I mean, I know that with the distance thing will have to be worked out, and that the bond is meant to be some big deal, but this,” she makes a motion to reference the two of them, “I’m fine with this. I’m just glad the bond isn’t one-sided. Everything else can be organised.”

 

“I was going to ask if you wanted to come to the Summer Court with me,” she was completely still at this.

 

“Was?” She questions softly, worry flickering down the bond. He realises quickly what had turned her mood.

 

“Oh God, Aeya, not like that,” he stands up, only to round the table to drop to his knees in front of her. He grabs her hands and kisses them. “Not like that, my dear, never like that. I said ‘was’ as an explanation to why I dragged you into the alcove. I had planned to ask you to return with me so that we could try this out. I just didn’t say it earlier because you— you—,” he paused, trying to organise his thoughts and pressed their joined hands to his forehead, “you made all thoughts fly from my head and then you touched me and it was like I was on fire. I’d never take the invitation back just because you knew.” He squeezed her hands tightly, trying to ensure she didn’t stand up and leave.

 

“When are you leaving the Winter Court?” Neither a yes nor a no.

 

“Two days. An invitation is officially extended to you. If you want it.” She closes her eyes and takes a breath.

 

“I want it.” Aeya opens her eyes.

 

“You want it?”

 

“That’s what I said, is it not?” His face breaks into a grin and he stands, sweeping her from her chair. She giggles as he spins them, her hands firmly holding on to his shoulders so they don’t topple over. He loosens his grip a little so that she slid to be eye level with him and she lets her arms rest across his shoulder.

 

“Thank you,” he whispers to her. She looks over his face for a while, tracing his cheeks with a hand.

 

And then, she leaned into him and placed her lips on his in a soft, tentative kiss, nothing more than a slight pressure, as if she was trying to grasp the feel of him. She pulled away an inch, resting her forehead on his. _Pause._ She kissed him again, harder this time. She pressed against him tighter, tugging his hair slightly.

 

Tarquin had only ever gotten heat stroke once in his life, after falling asleep on the beach one afternoon. It had felt like his brain had melted and had been like a tornado through his entire body. He could only focus on one thing at a time or he’d lose it all. That was what kissing his mate felt like. He wanted to lose himself in her and never find his way out again. She was like oxygen when he’d been breathing in water his entire life. He wanted to breathe her in and be destroyed by her over and over. 

 

He let her pull away from him eventually, but didn’t let her go far.

 

“I’ll come with you and we can figure out all of this but… you have to promise me that if I wish to leave, I may do so.”

 

“I’ll promise you that I will let you go if you so wish to.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him, resting her head in his shoulder. He held her close, not wanting her to go.

 

“I have to go home to tell everyone and to pack my things, _Elskan,_ ” he gently lets go of one of her thighs, making sure her foot was on the ground before he could let the other thigh go. She took his cheeks in her hands and kisses him again, gentle but meaningful all the same.

 

They break apart with hesitance, not going very far, the bond making them want to be as close to each other as possible.

 

“We should probably eat first,” he murmured against her lips and she nodded, stepping away from him and taking her seat back at the table. The dinner is filled with chaste touches and glances and jokes that had them in stitches even though they weren’t that funny. It was pitch-black outside by the time Aeya stood and let Tarquin place her fur over her shoulders. They kissed once more before she pulled away.

 

“I’ll meet you at the palace gates midafternoon in two days,” he nods, pulling him into his chest and breathing her in.

 

“I’ll see you then, my dear. Oh, and you needn’t pack any clothes. I will send word forward that you’re coming and to have some prepared. Winter court doesn’t exactly have the same fashion.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“It is no problem at all.” He lays a solitary kiss on her hand and lets her go.

 

_*~_ _Aeya ~*_

 

“Mama, I’m home,” she yells as the the door swings shut behind her. Her voice is met with her mother’s excited little squeal as she rushed around the corner into the entryway. She looked like she was about to explode with questions for her daughter but Aeya motioned for her tostop. “Can you get the family together, I have news that I need to speak to you all about,” her mother’s smart emerald eyes dart to Aeya’s left hand, trying to spot some form of a ring. “Mama!” her mum snaps out of it.

 

“Right, right, sorry darling. Ewin, kids, get your butts down here, Aeya has news!” she yelled the last part excitedly. It seemed as if her siblings had all been waiting for her as they seemed to burst from the stairs quicker than normal. Breena shot her an icy look, still giving her the silent treatment after the other night. Darien grabbed his twin around the shoulders and guided her into the living room, forcing her into the only single seat that wasn’t reserved for her dad. All seven of her siblings and her mum squeezed into the two couches that sat along the walls, eagerly facing her, watching how her knee bounced and the slightly frizzed look that become her hair.

 

Her dad was the last person to enter the room and took the single seat across from her.

 

“So, Aeya, what’s this news? Does it have anything to do with that High Lord who was here the other day?” her mother asks, reaching across to properly see whether there was a ring on Aeya’s finger.

 

“It does,” she has to pause to take a breath, looking over her siblings. Squished together, a sea of white blonde hair and emerald eyes (a trait Aeya had not received) all watching and listening to her intently. She loved her family in all their little ways. But, she needed to move on to better things, to grow. 

 

“The High Lord of the Summer Court is my mate.” Her mother stilled, not quite believing her ears before she processed and clapped her hands in glee, rushing forward to hug Aeya as everyone else looked shocked, except for Breena, who’s face had fallen into sadness but was thankfully silent and Darien who already knew. Her mother’s hug was crushing but Aeya stayed still and let herself be squeezed until her dad piped up.

 

“Mina, try not to squash the child when she clearly has more to say.”

 

“Oh, of course, go ahead darling,” Mina sat on the arm of the seat and held her second daughter’s hand lovingly. From the moment all of her children were born, all Mina Zerxer wanted was for them to be happy and to grow up strong and free and was obvious about it from day dot. Her husband was much the same even if he showed it differently, all calm and fatherly gruffness. What they had in common when their children were involved was the need to keep them safe from the looming curse that plagued them.

 

They both smiled at Aeya as she seemed to brace herself for what she was about to say.

 

“He has invited me back the summer court to… try the bond out, so we can both figure a relationship out hopefully. I’ll be safe and provided for.” Mina squeezed her hand again.

 

“What’d you say, sis?” Surprisingly it was Breena who spoke, offering her sister a smile.

 

“I said yes. He and I’ll leave in two days and I am hoping you’ll support the decision.” She looks up at her mum who bends to place a kiss on her brow. And then proceeded to burst into tears and throw her arms around Aeya.

 

“My baby’s all grown up,” she said between sobs of joy (or sadness. Aeya suspects both.)

 

“Mama, I’m 112, not 12. I have been grown for a while.”

 

“I know, darling, I know, but it feels like yesterday that we were waiting for you and Darian to come along and now you’re old and have a mate and leaving home and I just-“ she weeps some more. Ewin finally pulls his crying wife off their child and into his arms, gently shushing her, rubbing her back. Mina refuses to relent her vice-like grip on her daughters hand.

 

“Well, this is a day I never thought would come. Mama crying in front of us.” She didn’t know which child said it but Aeya’s mother laughed at that before pulling her second daughter into another hug.


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aeya goes to Summer, makes a new friend and Tarquin thinks his mate is the equivalent of a work of art.

A knocked sounded at Aeya’s door four hours before she left to meet Tarquin. She was done figuring out what she needed to bring so there wasn’t much left in her room other than her drawers filled with winter clothes and her skates left at the end of her pristinely made bed.

 

“Come in,” she calls as she slides her half made sword into it’s leather sheath. The door swings open with the subtlest of creaks to reveal Breena in the doorway. Aeya slightly tenses, preparing herself for whatever her sister is about to say as Breena walks in and closes the door. She nervously strides to perch on the bed next to where her sister’s chest lays open.

 

“Da says I can have your room once your gone,” Aeya nods, already aware of this.

 

“Is that all?”

 

“I feel the need to apologise,” the younger sister raises a perfectly maintained blonde eyebrow and leans against her desk, waving her hand for Breena to continue. “I haven’t been kind to you in a long time and I know that it isn’t fair because you never deserved for me to treat you like that, so, I’m apologising and hoping you and I can fix… fix this,” she motions between Aeya’s tense form and herself.

 

“Hm.” Aeya fills the syllable with all the condemnation she possesses for her sister before turning away, gathering her blueprints and writings. She releases a sigh and turns back to her sister, still nervously hovering on the edge of the bed.

 

“I was expecting a lot worse than that.”

 

“I can’t believe you’re saying this hours before I leave, when you’ve been an absolute cow - with no redeeming qualities - to me for so long. We can try to fix what’s broken, but it’ll take a long time. I never cared or remembered what you said, but I can never forget the pain you constantly aimed to inflict on me. If you want to make amends with me then you need to fix your shit before I come back, whenever that may be. Can you at least try to do that or are you too set in your ways?” Aeya’s voice is cold as the ice she skates on, making shock flit through Breena’s emerald eyes. But she nods, accepting what Aeya says.

 

“Do you need any help packing?” Aeya shakes her head as she walks over and places the sheathed sword and the paper into the top of the chest, pulling the lid over and closing it with a small _click._ Breena stood as Aeya lugged her case from her bed and together they walked toward the front door of the house.

 

“Y’know, ma’s gonna miss you like crazy when your gone. You were always the favourite. She always used to sit in the armchair and write and wonder where you’d disappear to when you weren’t at the forge. If you were off getting a husband or something.”

 

“Or something, definitely.”

 

“I used to tell her that. Shockingly, she didn’t listen.” Aeya let out a little breathy chuckle, unsurprised at her mother’s thought process. She was surprised at the new Breena that had appeared since she had prepared to leave. Her sister’s kindness was odd but appreciated. They reached the door and Aeya placed her bag next to it, ready to go after she said bye to the children of the capital city. “I really am sorry, A. And… good luck” Breena claps her shoulder, turns and walks back dow the hall.

 

Sighing, she walks outside to say bye to all the people she’s taught.

 

_*~Tarquin~*_

 

Tarquin waited for Aeya with Varian at the gates of the Winter palace, trying not to wring his hands. She should be here soon and he was happily nervous. He was also obviously ignoring the side-eyed glances Varian threw at him every couple of seconds. Varian finally sighed and opened his mouth to speak.

 

“Are you sure about this? I mean, no-one in the court will know her and vice-versa. You could be throwing her in way too fast.” Tarquin turned a glare to his cousin.

 

“I’m not throwing her in. I’m not marrying her or making her lady of summer. I’m- We’re just figuring it- the bond out. And I’ll introduce her to the court eventually.”

 

“For her sake, I pray you know what slow means. I wouldn’t want her to feel uncomfortable.”

 

“Agreed, Varian, agreed.”

 

The male in question nodded behind Tarquin’s shoulder and Tarquin turned and smiled at Aeya’s approaching form. He raised a hand in a slight wave and she did the same back. He noted that she was hauling a medium sized iron case behind her. Probably her work.

 

She reached them quickly and smiled at him and Varian. He leaned forward and kissed her quickly, subtly inhaling her scent as he went. When he pulled away, Varian smiled back at her and took her pale hand in his dark one and leaned forward, pressing the back of her hand to his forehead so as not to aggravate Tarquin by kissing her. He was still passively aggravated by the closeness of Varian.

 

“Aeya, this my cousin, second in command and prince of Adriata, Varian. Varian, this is Aeya.” He felt that he needn’t say more. He turned to his mate and smiled. “Are you ready to go? Have you got everything you need, my dear?” Aeya nods and gestures to her case.

 

“All packed and ready.” Tarquin holds his hand out for her and she takes it, letting him pull her tight to him and taking the opportunity to bask in his warmth. She notes Varian taking her case from her and winnowing away.

 

They winnow a second later, landing on a marble floor in a sandstone-walled room. As Aeya took inthe room she realised that it was a throne room.

 

She also realised it was stinking hot in the room. She shrugged off the light fur coat she had worn and hung it over one of her arms as she looks over the throne at the far end. It was a beautiful high backed seat made of stunning vividly blue chrysocolla and reminded her of the paintings of the ocean that floated around in market stalls. 

 

Speaking of the ocean…

 

She runs to one of the many pane-less windows in the room and grips tightly to the sandstone as she looks down onto the shore of the most beautiful beach. She had seen the sand and the ocean in picture books but… 

 

“Beautiful,” she whispers before turning to face her mate, still in the centre of the room, smiling softly at the obviously childlike smile on her face.

 

“Do you know how to swim, my dear?” Aeya nods. “Would you like to go for a swim later, once your settled? Only if you want though.”

 

She looks thoughtful for a while before turning to look back out of the window at the gentle waves lapping at the shore. It was stunning in the daylight, but she thought it might be nicer in other conditions. She pivots and turns to walk back to him.

 

“I think we should go after dinner, when the sun is down. I saw the look you threw Varian when he held my hand,” she ran her hands up his chest, over his broad shoulders and back again, resting one hand over his racing heart, “wouldn’t want a poor farmer being smited because they happened a glance in my direction while I was wearing swimming clothes, would we, Elskan?” 

 

“After dinner it is then.”

 

*~*

 

Aeya’s room was beautiful but simplistic, it's design reminding her of her bedroom back in the Winter Court. The biggest difference was the giant floor-to-ceiling windows that faced out to the eastern horizon. Aeya knew that the sunrise will be as beautiful as everything else she finds in the house. She had a marble balcony with a table and set of two chairs and she stood out there for a while, watching the last light, letting the sea breeze blow through her hair before going back inside to investigate further. 

 

In the centre of the room, facing the windows, there was a polished mahogany canopy bed that she could obviously close with the silky drapes tied to the posts. A velvety blue ottoman sat at the end of the bed with a dress draped across it. A large desk spanned along one wall, the same mahogany as the bed. 

 

There were two doors, one on either side of her bed. The first bought her into an opulent bathroom. The huge bath was made of the same polished chrysocolla as Tarquin’s throne. A mirror took up an entire wall and the marble vanity beneath it was accented with stunning gold taps and accessories on a sandstone bench.

 

The other door led to a vast walk in wardrobe that was already filled with flowing pants, shirts, dresses in beautiful summery colours, gold and silver jewellery, lightweight shoes, plenty of swimsuits and… 

 

and…

 

“He's seriously hoping to get lucky if he’s put these in here,” she whispers, letting her eyes wander over the lacy underthings she found in a drawer.

 

“He didn’t put them in there, but I’m sure he is hoping to get lucky,” Aeya jumps at the warm, female voice that had permeated the silence. She turned to find a darkly coloured female - who vaguely resembled Varian in her facial structure and silvery-white hair - leaning against the doorframe.

 

“I’m Cresseida, Varian’s older sister and princess of Adriata. I’m also pleased to have another high-ranking female ‘round.” Aeya blushed slightly but took Cresseida’s dark hand, shaking it.

 

“I wouldn’t say I’m high-ranking but okay,” Cresseida smiles at her in a way that indicates she knows something Aeya doesn’t before stepping back from the door frame.

 

“Well, still, it’s nice to meet you Aeya. I’ll see you at dinner, I assume? Also," she pauses and looks over Aeya, "you might want to change before you overheat in your winter clothes,” Aeya nods and Cresseida turns and exits the room.

 

Aeya turns to survey the dresses on a rack behind her and choose a simple bottle green tunic and sandals, slipping a couple of gold bangles over each of her wrists.

 

“Welcome to the Summer Court, I guess,” Aeya whispers as she walks out the door for dinner.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flirting occurs and a little bit of Aeya's culture.

Dinner was about as mundane as they come, with all of the four people there. Aeya found it odd that they required such a long dining table.

 

_If only her 12 person family had this table. They’d never bump elbows again._

 

Cresseida was a great conversationalist and filled her in on anything that was going on in the court, whether it be as inconsequential as the maid who fell in love with one of the fisherman to something as important as what had gone on in senates. Aeya named Cresseida as her first friend, filling her with warmth at the thoughts. Varian, she found, was about as prudish as they come, averting his eyes whenever his sister mentioned anything remotely sexually related (innuendo’s that Cresseida shot Tarquin included), but she found he was highly intelligent and asked about her work back in Winter, which she happily shared with him.

 

Tarquin was another matter. He sent her secretive smiles between conversations throughout the entire dinner and at one point she thought she felt his magic brush against her leg. She thought she showed great strength to continue her conversation with Cresseida. Or maybe it was because she made him hiss by shackling his ankle in ice.

 

But, the sun had gone down and Varian and Cresseida had announced goodnight and left the table to go to sleep.

 

“Four hours should be long enough for the fisherman to leave,” Aeya stood and slowly stalked towards Tarquin. She reached him and sat on the table beside his chair, resting a pale foot on the arm of the chair. She willed the block of ice to melt around his ankle as he glides his warm hand over her lower leg in the gentlest of touches.

 

“Four hours?” Tarquin asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

“Long enough to tease you and the fisherman will be able to avoid your stupid over protective fae bullshit,” she shrugs at this, pulls her leg away from him and hops off the table. “I’ll be waiting for you in the throne room in four hours,” Aeya kisses Tarquin’s hair and skips (literally skips) from the room.

 

*~*

 

The stars reflected off the beautiful dark water she could see from her balcony as Aeya sat there three and a half hours later. She closed her eyes and let the breeze flow around her for a while before standing and turning to check her appearance in the mirror. She didn’t bother tying her hair up and she wore a baby blue two piece swimsuit that accentuated her figure. She had covered it up with a soft green shift that was closed with a rope tie. Aeya slipped a pair of sandals on her feet and left her room, making sure the door didn’t creak in the process.

 

Tarquin was waiting for her in the throne room when she arrived. He was sat atop his throne, playing with his magic, weaving water between his fingers and around his wrist thoughtfully. Aeya watched him silently, leaning up against the doorjamb. He was beautiful in the moonlight.

 

“How long are you going to stand there, my dear?” Tarquin looked up at her with a gentle smile tugging at his lips.

 

“How’d you know it was me? You could’ve just called one of your advisor’s ‘my dear’. Which would have been hilarious, by the way,” Aeya pulls away from the door frame and approached the dais.

 

“Your scent, Aeya. You have a distinctive scent that none of my advisor’s possess,” Tarquin stands and walks down the steps of the dais to meet her at the bottom. He holds out an arm to her and she takes it, fitting her hands in the crook of his elbow.

 

“Oh? And what is it?” Tarquin leans in close to her ear, brushing his lips along it.

 

“Fire,” he whispers, sending a shiver down her spine. He pulls away. “You ready?” Aeya nods and lets him steer her toward the beech.

 

*~ _Tarquin_ ~*

 

He wanted to kiss her the moment he saw her. She was alluring and he was a goner. He didn’t want to take her swimming, he wanted to take her to his bed and consummate the mating bond. And right now, Aeya was holding his arm and leaning into him and laughing at his jokes as he led them toward the more secretive “beach” that he hid from his advisors in and he feels as if he’s about to internally combust.

 

They reach the hanging vines that hides where he’s bringing them and he brushes them aside and leads her into the tunnel.

 

“If you’re going to murder me, I’d like to know,” Tarquin chuckles at her and squeezes her hand firmly as the sound of a waterfall filters through from behind another group of hanging trees that he also pushes away. Aeya gasps at what she finds there.

 

At the opposite end of the clearing they had entered was a waterfall that fell off of high cliffs and on to moss covered boulders tracking down the cliffs side. The waterfall led down to a giant pool of bright cerulean water. The whole clearing seemed to glow at this hour of night, filled with benevolent fireflies and glow-worms. Aeya turns 360 to take it all in, a dainty smile gracing her face.

 

She moves to one of the cave walls and runs her hand through the plants there, making fireflies flutter up to circle around her head. She watches in awe and laughs brightly. Tarquin watches her, not being able to look away from the sight of her white hair and blue eyes glowing under the light. She raises a hand and runs it through the line of fireflies with almost childlike glee and amazement.

 

“It’s beautiful,” she whispers, like if she spoke normally it would ruin the moment. He isn’t watching the fireflies when he replies.

 

“It is.” Aeya notes his eyes and her face floods scarlet before she turns back to the flittering above her head. Tarquin still catches the red pooling along the back of her neck. He walks away from her to stand at the edge of the pool, pulling his shirt up over his head, trying not to turn at the knowledge of Aeya’s eyes on his back.

 

“Are you going to swim or just watch the fireflies for hours,” he hears a small laugh escape her lips and she silently approaches him. He side-eyes her as she kicks off her sandals and unties her shift, folding it and placing it on the ground. Tarquin turns away because he firmly believes that he might just internally combust if he keeps looking at her.

 

Aeya’s gone from his side when he looks back in the direction she was standing. He looks around, confused when he hears a voice above him.

 

“Hey!” Aeya stands at the top of the cliff, on a boulder that parted the waterfall. Water rushed past her as her silhouette seemed to gleam in the moonlight. Tarquin was definitely going to combust as he takes in her pale curves, thick, strong legs and long white hair flowing down her back.

 

Aeya jumps off the cliff in a perfect dive and hits the water with barely a ripple appearing in her wake. She resurfaces quickly, shaking her hair out with a giant smile on her face, her blue eyes glinting with a subtle challenge.

 

Tarquin is quick to throw his shirt to the ground, running up and cannonballing into the water, splashing his mate. He swims to her and watches as she bobs in the water, giggling slightly and reaching for him, pushing his white hair off where it was stuck to his forehead. She lets her hand cup his cheek for a second before turning on her back to look up.

 

“The water’s warmer here.” He twisted to float on his back next to her as she continued speaking. “My parents come from a place known as Knoriska. Freaking cold, even for me.” She pauses and he waits for her to continue. “Every time there has ever been a battle, we’ve won and it became a tradition that you would run to the closest ocean coast, no matter how far it was away, strip your clothes off as you go and dive into the ocean to wash off mud and blood. And yes, there is a lot of frostbite involved in that. And yes, that was why I learnt to swim. The water is a whole lot warmer here.”

 

“I’d love to see that tradition,” she laughs softly at his response, shifting to put an arm on his chest and shove him under water. He swims beneath her and picks her up from the waist. She wraps her legs around his abdomen and her arms around his neck.

 

“It’s pretty attractive considering Knoriskans are all warriors and blacksmiths with these gorgeous rock-hard abs and not too shabby manho-“ Tarquin cuts her off by growling slightly, making her laugh at him. “I’m kidding. Although, I’m pretty sure it was what turned my brother.”

 

“Tell me about your family,” Tarquin whispers, laying a single solitary kiss on her neck, relishing in the feeling of her running her hands through his hair.

 

“In order of age, Mum, Dad, Breena, Darian, who is older than me by 8 minutes, a fact he rubs in a lot.” Tarquin chuckled softly. “After me is Cassidy, Eiram, Fenik, Gerran, Hailan, Indi and Jessabel. We’re all squished into a house on the edge of Winters perpetually frozen lake and would definitely benefit from from a dining table like the one you have in your dining room, but I love them no matter how much they irritate me” he laughed softly as she unwrapped herself from him and swam up to the bank where she climbed out, revealing an long expanse of beautiful, smooth, glowing white skin. The sight was mouth watering. She turned and smiled as if she knew exactly what she was doing to him.

 

She would be the death of him. And he thinks she may have planned it that way.


End file.
